Barry McWilliams' Mission to Uganda

A Short Term Trip to UgandaApril 31st - May 19th, 2005

The Mission:

I did teaching and preaching in several conferences in Uganda as part of a team going from University Presbyterian Church in Las Cruces, NM. Some of the team, John Picket (UPC's pastor), Brad Bailey, Di Maddox, and Randy McMillan, and Don MacDonald worked with the Presbyterian Church in Uganda assisting a church plant with door-to-door, park and crusade evangelism in Hoima.They had a one day safari at Mweya on the way down to Kunungu (Kinkiizi). Tom Graham and I left April 30th from Seattle to join the team in Kinkiizi along with two Ugandans on our Team, Titus Baraka and Beatrice Barkira, where we participated in pastors' and youth conferences on the 3rd to the 8th and other events celebrating the 10 year Anniversary of Kinkiizi Diocese, where I ministered in 2003. The theme for the conference there ws "Seeing all things clearly" Mark 8:35. One highlight was the Pygmy Rally in Bwindi on May 4th.

The next week saw a division of the teams with a trip for John and Tom and Titusto Kigali, Rwanda. Part of the team from New Mexico returned home on the 9th. Don and I went to Kampala, for some brief ministry and visits by me to Africa Bible College and Uganda Christian University in Mukono, then on to Kamuli in Basoga Diocese on May 11th for a Pastor's and Wives Conference, about forty miles north of Jinja, in the district of the same name at Naminage Converence Center. Kamuli is the fourth poorest district in Uganda and primarily an agricultural area. It is part of the Basoga kingdom. The theme for this conference is "Put your house in order" 2 Kings 20:1-11 focusing on family relationships especially among ministers. We returned to Henry Krabbendam's house "Karibuni Kayumba" near Kampala on the 16th, for a couple days of rest and contacts and fellowship with three other teams before leaving for home on May 18th. Given the distances and rough road conditions between our various places of ministry, it took plenty of travel between each one. We will be going into Uganda with the assistance of Africa Christian Training Institute (ACTI).
The arrangements and itinerary will be arranged with the Ugandan Field Director, Rashid Luzwa.

This was my third trip to Uganda. My first trip included teaching, preaching and door-to-door evangelism at New Life Presbyterian Church in Kajjansi, near Kampala, on March 10th - 17th, 2001, as part of a team led by Dr. Henry Krabbendam. My second trip on March 3rd -22nd, 2003 involved teaching and preaching in four conferences - an Arch-Deacon's conference at Lweza, and Lay-Leader conferences in Mukono, Kinkiizi and Hoima, serving the Church of Uganda. Over 400 Ugandan Church leaders and believers participated in these conferences.

Travel Plans:

Leaving Seattle at 8:45 AM on April 30th through Chicago to London (American Airlines) arriving at 6:50 AM on Sunday, May 1st.
2 hour layover in Chicago - 13 hour layover in London.
Leaving Heathrow at 7:25 PM to Entebbe (British Air) arriving at 5:40 AM on May 2nd.Return: Leaving Entebbe on May 18th 11:10 PM through Brussels (BA) to Chicago (AA) to Seattle (AA), arriving at 6:34 PM on May 19th.
5 hour layover in Brussels - 2.5 hour layover in Chicago.

As of 4/20/05, I have on hand about $1677.75 towards my portion of the Team's costs. At least another $1,726.26 was in the mail - making my total $3,404.01! My special thanks to the children at Sullivan First Christian Church in Sullivan, Indiana, who raised $526.26 in coins!! And some more money came in, which pushed me past my goal!

My share of the teams' Trip Costs is $3500 channeled through University Presbyterian Church (see below) and will be used in the following way:

$1,770 air fare to Uganda and back

$500 to $1,000 for accommodations, food, and travel in Uganda (including our in-country support team).

Whatever remains will be used for ministry in Uganda

Slightly over one-half of this amount is used for transportation, room, and board in Uganda and the remainder used in direct ministry to the people of Uganda. It is the nature of ministry in Uganda, that we must provide for the needs of those we minister to. Most of us are accustomed to having guests come and minister in our home churches. In such cases, the host church provides travel expenses, lodging and meals, and typically gives an honorarium. The Ugandan churches are very poor (average annual family income is less that $400) and as such, could never cover such costs. Therefore, we cover our own expenses and raise additional funds to provide the scholarships, travel funds, food and lodging for Ugandans to participate in the events we conduct. Our costs for the conferences in Hoima, Kinkiizi and Kamulii add up to about $15,000. In addition, the logistics of getting us to where we will minister and providing for our basic needs and health is made possible by the time and energies of a number of Ugandans who also need to be supported. 100% of what I receive will go for my trip and any excess funds received will go to help anyone on the team who has fallen short of their goal and when all team members are fully funded, excess funds are used to purchase Bibles and other Christian books, and medical supplies, or used to help orphans in Uganda. And unlike full time missionaries who require regular support - all I am seeking are one time gifts to Uganda. We could take about 50 pounds each of Bible study materials, clothes, medicine, and other benevolent help. I took a number of deflated soccer balls, and a bunch of Biblical Foundations, Inc booklets by Linleigh Roberts, an=mong other items. (See below for more on ACTI's financial policies; and for benevolent gifts suggestions.)
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Benevolent Gifts

Many of the necessities of life are readily available in Uganda however the lack of funds makes these items difficult to obtain. Generally heavy and bulky items are not good candidates for benevolent gifts -- but funds can be carried to Uganda and such items purchased there. This saves valuable space in luggage for smaller items that will benefit more Ugandans. I can take about 75 pounds of gifts.

The following list contains suggestions giving some idea of what gift items I can take along.

Good and Solid (Reformed) Theological Books though these are heavy, they are much needed by the leadership of the Ugandan Churches.

ACTI has worked in East Africa through an extensive ministry of preaching, teaching, evangelism, elder and deacon training, counseling, and medical service and training. It continues to have a significant impact in Uganda among Ugandan Episcopalians and Pentecostals as well as the Presbyterian Church there by facilitating teaching and ruling elders, students and lay people doing short term - but intensive - ministry trips. One hundred sixty-two went to Uganda in ten teams in 2001. Six new churches were planted in 2001, more have been planted this year. Ten primarily pastor/pastor's wife conferences were conducted, together with seven general believers conferences in various denominational churches. Nine conferences were conducted for the benefit of women, youth and children. ACTI's main objective is to straighten and extend the national church in both urban and rural areas of Uganda in whatever venues open to them by the invitation of the Ugandan churches and missionaries.

Over the years, ACTI has found this type ministry to be effective and by God's grace has helped change the character of the church in Uganda. It is an enabling ministry that assists the church in its areas of need, but at the same time leaves the Christians of Uganda in control of their own ministry and outreach. The need is so great and the people are so responsive to the gospel. It is not uncommon for a Ugandan pastor to educated and fluent in English, yet lacking in formal theological training and with few resources. ACTI has helped struggling pastors and churches with conferences and seminars designed to train in ministry skills that we take for granted in our churches here at home. A team member may spend six to eight hours per day teaching pastors, elders and deacons, do personal work at night and then preach in areas churches on the Lord's Day. It is not without its dangers either - besides the ever present health concerns, rebel activities prevent work in some areas, and Pastor Pete Anderson's team was robbed twice last summer. There is much need for prayer for those who go to minister.

ACTI's pledge is to use funds to their maximum for God's glory. The salaries of the Ugandan ACTI coordination team is paid from designated funds and a small portion of ministry teams funds. The more a ministry team uses its staff in Uganda, the more it costs. However, their policy is never to access any team member more than $100 for this purpose. Therefore, the maximum they would charge any team members $3,500 is 2.9%. African Christian Training Institute was founded by a group of Presbyterian Church in America men in 1981, and continues to be overseen by a Board of primarily P.C.A. people. Those who oversee ACTI's efforts in the United States are all otherwise engaged in full-time employment (pastors, doctors, dentists, accountants, etc.,) and their work with ACTI is on a volunteer basis. They even pay their own expenses to ACTI meetings. ACTI is totally committed to both the work of ministry in Uganda and financial integrity for every dollar God entrusts to them.